What's on this weekend in Melbourne

Discover things to do in Melbourne this weekend, from free events to exhibitions, attractions and places to visit.

The NGV and Arts Centre lit up on a winter night.

This weekend

Three ballerinas on a darkened stage in glowing tutu dresses.
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Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show

The classic fairytale is reimagined with glow-in-the-dark costumes and luminous staging.

A crowded scene within the Queen Victoria Market, featuring various banners for a craft fair and market called 'CRFT*WRK'
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CRFT*WRK Market

Enjoy a monthly craft fair at Queen Victoria Market.

Lightscape installation at night with purple images of trees.
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Lightscape

Melbourne's favourite winter tradition Lightscape returns to Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Impressionist still life painting of three red apples on a pink background.
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VAS 9x5 Exhibition

A homage to the original 1889 Impressionism exhibitions of small works painted on cigar box lids.

An impressionist-style painting of a blueish street tree in front of a house with a low fence.
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Victorian Artists Society: Winter Select Exhibition

The highly anticipated Select exhibitions showcase VAS member artists working across all mediums.

Dancers entwined, with woman's head appearing to be joined to a male dancer's shoulder.
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Stephanie Lake Company: Vista

Six extraordinary dancers weave between technique and reckless abandon.

A vibrant color illustration of a red, blue, and yellow parrot superimposed over two open pages of a vintage book with printed English text.
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Melbourne Rare Book Week

A free city-wide festival celebrating the written, printed and illustrated word.

Ensemble cast of performers on stage, all wearing white t-shirts, blue trousers and braces, with their arms raised in the air, improvising in front of an audience.
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Defrost Festival

Showcasing over 50 unique events dedicated to improv and sketch comedy.

Overhead view of temporary book stalls filling Wilson Hall with people walking around looking at the products for sale.
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Melbourne Rare Book Fair

A treasure trove of rare and beautiful books, manuscripts, ephemera and more.

Artwork showing a woman looking over her left shoulder and smiling in rosy tones overlayed with a trumpet and maracas with birds and leaves also in the picture.
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Winter Gala

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Winter Gala warms you up with a trip to Buenos Aires.

Top down view of a shallow brown bowl with food served in a creamy orange sauce, cutlery alongside.

Heritage & Vine: Under the Atrium Dinner Series

A curated culinary journey of heritage wines and seasonal elegance under the glass atrium.

Two young people seated on stone steps.
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Saplings

Youth theatre celebrating the survival instincts of young people.

A Carlton AFL player celebrating on the field with his mouth open and his fists clenched.

AFL Round 21: Carlton v Brisbane Lions

A Saturday night showdown is coming to Marvel Stadium when Carlton play the Brisbane Lions.

Poster for the 1971 musical film Fiddler on the Roof features the main character silhouetted on a roof against a sunset while holding a violin.

Capitol Theatre Orchestra followed by Fiddler on the Roof

Get ready for an unforgettable Saturday at Melbourne's home of famous movies and classic music.

A person learning the art of Japanese water colour painting.

Japanese Culture Experience Day

Learn Japanese arts and crafts in a day of fun workshops run by professional artists.

A painted portrait of comedian Meg Jäger, as she reclines back on a green lounge with the back of her hand against her forehead.

Meg Jäger: A Beautiful Mind

Comedy about a beautiful mind when everyone is so distracted by a beautiful body.

An angled brochure showing wine images and a festival logo that is incidental.

North x North East Victorian Wine Festival

Taste, explore and meet the makers behind Victoria’s North and North East vineyards.

Crowd dancing under signage in dark-lit venue.

NGV Teens: Art Party

An electrifying line-up of music, art, dance and live performances.

People browsing an outdoor market bric-a-brac stall in a park location.

The Lygon Street Market

A monthly open-air market held on the first Sunday of each month.

Shoppers flicking through crates of vinyl records at a Record Fair.

Melbourne Record Fair

Over 20,000 records from Melbourne’s best vinyl dealers are waiting for you at Queen Vic Market.

A woman in a beige cap and orange t-shirt sipping an iced coffee while reading a book.

Section 8 Presents: Book Doof

Book Doof bring their iconic reading rave to Section 8.

Regular weekend events

Visitors enjoying an evening event at the National Gallery of Victoria, seated on stools under shadowy lighting.
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NGV Friday Nights: Cartier

NGV Friday Nights shine with Cartier, featuring live music, flims, food and drinks.

Lightscape installation at night with purple images of trees.
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Lightscape

Melbourne's favourite winter tradition Lightscape returns to Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

An ancient Roman marble bust with its nose chipped off, displayed on a small square plinth.
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Rome: Empire, Power, People

This Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Ancient Rome.

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

An early watercolour painting of Melbourne's Yarra River.
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Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River

Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.

An exquisite Cartier diamond tiara, suspended against a black background.
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Melbourne Winter Masterpieces: CARTIER

Featuring nearly 400 extraordinary jewellery objects, alongside rare archival materials.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

A dark interior space, with smoky purple rounds of light, silhouettes of people's arms pushing into these open spaces.
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Imaginator

An immersive experience that celebrates imagination, technology and play.

A plate of fluffy pancakes with ice-cream and chocolate over the top.
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Chocolate Family Adventure Day

Enjoy an all-inclusive, stress-free family outing filled with fun, creativity, and delicious treats.

A small tour group looking up from the ground floor of the La Trobe Reading Room.
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State Library Victoria Unlocked

On this exclusive tour, gain access to State Library Victoria before the doors open to the public.

Man holding an old-fashioned lantern outside illuminated Flinders St Station at night, wearing a suit and cap.
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Hidden Melbourne: Ghosts, Murder and Mystery

Take a spine-chilling journey back in time to explore the rich paranormal realm of Old Melbourne.

Black and white photograph from the 1960s of model, Twiggy, wearing a mini-dress at the Melbourne Cup.
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Swinging 60s

This exhibition looks at what it was like to live in Victoria during the 1960s.

A group of people on a guided walk of the Royal Botanic Gardens, with trees in the background.
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Free Guided Walk

A free guided walk is the perfect way to enjoy the sunny weather in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Three ballerinas on a darkened stage in glowing tutu dresses.
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Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show

The classic fairytale is reimagined with glow-in-the-dark costumes and luminous staging.

The shopfront of a Japanese-style craft workshop with brightly coloured craft materials on shelves and a neon sign.
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DIY Craft Workshops

Unleash your creativity at these workshops where everyone is a designer.

A stand-up comedian talking into a microphone they hold in their hand, performing live on stage.
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Main Stage: Stand-Up Comedy

Have a laugh with stand-up comedy from Australia's best comedians, plus international drop-ins.

Three people on a walking tour with a Fit City tour guide, two carrying a takeaway coffee.
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Laneways and Lattes Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne’s hidden laneways with coffee, street art, history and culture.

Two actors wearing formal clothes in a spotlight on a theatre stage during a performance of Pretty Woman: The Musical.
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Pretty Woman: The Musical

A dazzling stage adaptation of one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time.

The lobby of a comedy venue, with a blue velvet couch and red curtains.
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Sunday Night Stand Up Comedy Show

See some of Melbourne's best stand-up comedy, every Sunday night.

A person in a gallery setting looking at a sculpture of an oversize wooden pipe with a sculpture of a giant peeled mandarin balanced on the pipe.
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Poetry Goes No Further Than Language

Explore a moment in mid-1980s China when a group of artists began to question values about art.

Two people on a stage giving each other a high five, one also holding a microphone.
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Comedy at the Coopers Inn

A comedy club featuring the best local, interstate and international stand-up comedians.

Workshop class participants smiling in a studio setting, holding up mosaic pots and coasters they have made.
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Mosaic Making Workshop for Beginners

Learn the art of creating beautiful mosaics from start to finish.

A group of smiling participants in a studio workshop setting, holding glass-domed terrariums.
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Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

Create your mini plant world while enjoying a soothing cuppa and a calming environment.

Workshop participants smiling and holding multicoloured mosaic tiled coasters.
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Colourful Mosaic Coaster Workshop

Come and make mosaic coasters and step into the world of colours.

A close up of flower made from enamel craft
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Cloisonne Enamel Painting Workshop for Beginners

Create a unique drink coaster using the ancient cloisonné art.

Three smiling workshop participants in a studio space, holding up jewellery they have made.
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Polymer Clay Earring Workshop

Create beautiful jewellery in this fun workshop.

Three coloured gin-based cocktails with platters of snacks.
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Gin-dulgent High Tea Experience

Take your seat for a guided gin high tea like no other with bottomless sparkling.

An Incan sun mask lying on greenery, part of the Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City virtual reality experience.
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Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City

A 4D virtual reality experience that lets you explore the Incan citadel in the Peruvian Andes.

People looking up at the trees on a guided walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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Aboriginal Heritage Walk

Wominjeka: journey into Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide.

Two people standing in front of a large pink spiky wall of speakers in an exhibition space.
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Reverb: A Journey into Sound

ACMI and RISING present The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, a major exhibition of vinyl culture and music.

Two three-tiered cake stands displaying sweet and savoury cheese treats on a white table.
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High Cheese

A refined three-tiered journey, reimagined through cheese.

Private dining bubbles in a designed space with greenery and fairy lights.
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Fern’s Hidden Winter Garden

Enjoy a unique winter dining experience in a private botanical conservatory.

Installation view of the Spartans & Anzacs exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance, with people walking around the space, reading panels and looking at displays.
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Spartans & Anzacs

This exhibition invites reflection on the enduring values forged in conflict.

Two young adults observing a sculpture in a gallery space with digital and scupltural displays.
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EMERGENCE[Y]

An exhibition exploring how adaptation in a world of flux unfolds in every layer of life.

A solar eclipse, with light emerging around the edges of the blacked-out sun.
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Solar Tours

Come and experience the wonders of the Sun at the historic Melbourne Observatory.

Visitors walking through a 3D simulation of the cosmos using wireless VR headsets.
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Starstruck

Smithsonian Starstruck is an immersive 3D journey to the cosmos.

A large group of people in active wear all running on a path in park.
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Run the Tan: Run Club

Start the weekend off on the right foot with a run around the Tan.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
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The Southbank Makers Market

Explore the Southbank Makers Market every Sunday on the promenade at Southgate.

Looking over a blurred shoulder at a table with books displayed.
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World of the Book

Experience the rare, the sacred and the iconic in this one-of-a-kind exibition.

A woman on a stepladder in a garden pours water from a watering can over a man standing below.
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Uncle Vanya

Chekhov’s timeless tale, full of mordant wit, unrequited love and longing, finds new life.

A group of people seated in a small, intimate venue with red lighting and small red lamps on tables.
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Comedy Fridays at Piper's Playhouse

A fresh line-up of leading Australian comedians, alongside surprise guest appearances.

Six female performers on a purple lit stage in costumes and striking poses, all singing into microphones they hold in their hands.
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SIX the Musical

SIX the Musical makes its royal stage return to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre.

Novelty wind-up chattering teeth against a yellow background.
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Basement Comedy Club: Weekend Showcase

Bringing you the biggest names and best comedians in the country, and beyond.

Black and white photograph of a busy Melbourne city intersection with trams, cars, people crossing the road, and buildings, dating from around the 1950s or 1960s.
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Making Modern Melbourne

This free exhibition examines the tumultuous twentieth century in Melbourne.

Four rows of people sitting smiling and laughing.
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Kings of Comedy: Underground, Uncensored, Unrivalled

Enjoy stand-up comedy from future stars and celebrity guest headliners.

Two different hands holding two wine glasses, resting on a restaurant's dining table, a plate of food and napkins also on the table.
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Mystery Sidedoor City: Wine and Asian Fusion Bites

Enjoy off-menu bites and paired drinks at a hidden Melbourne venue on this guided tasting adventure.

Four women standing and holding up small mosaic lamps in front of a circular neon sign.
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Mosaic Art Classes Melbourne: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Make beautiful mosaic lamps at this Turkish lamp workshop

A little girl looking at a colourful display of cushions in an art gallery.
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Children's Play: Ragnar Kjartansson

A new children's exhibition by Ragnar Kjartansson, inspired by the idea of a theatrical feast.

Four cabaret performers surrounded by pink and yellow feather fans.
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Cabaret Ridiculous

An hour of variety entertainment that’s as unpredictable as it is unforgettable.

A group of friends playing the board game dungeons and dragons at Fortress Tavern Melbourne, with a Dungeon Master dressed in a witch's costume leading the game.
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Dungeons and Flagons

Forge friendships through adventure at Dungeons and Flagons at Fortress.

Floral accessorie made from silk and beads.
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French Embroidery Workshop

Learn to craft an anemone brooch, from hand-dyeing silk to beadwork.

A tour guide talking to people in the Carlton Gardens, autumn leaves on the grass, the Royal Exhibition Building just visible in the background.
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Badass Women of Melbourne: Women's History Walking Tour

Take a guided walk to uncover the hidden stories of everyday women who shaped Melbourne.

See all events on this weekend

More to explore

People milling around Fed Square at sunset.

What's on today

Discover free events, epic festivals and shows on in Melbourne today.

A night tennis match at Rod Laver Arena.

Major events

From the Australian Open to the Melbourne Cup, major events take centre stage throughout the year.

Crowds exploring an ornate government house room styled in blue and gold.

What's free in Melbourne this month

Everything to see, do and enjoy in Melbourne for free this month.

A chef cooking meat skewers over a flaming grill.
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What's on in November

Things to do in Melbourne in November, from free events to exhibitions and places to visit.